Buttonhole-sewing machine.



H. IN. EASTHAM.

BUTToNHoLE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6.19I5.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

| dIIIIIIIIIIIIIIl IIIIIII||IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH MMU/@Vfl if k entran sana rear-raam ernten HENRY W. 'EAS-TEAM, OE BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED, SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OE PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, CORPORATION OE NEW;

JERSEY.

EUTTONHOLE-SEWJING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

f Patented Dec. 26, i916.,

.application met name e, i915. sena; no. 12,539.

rlhe invention relates to that class of buti' tonhole sewing machines in which the stitch `forming mechanism is rotated during the sewing about the end and eye of the buttonhole.

The invention is intended primarily as an improvement in the buttonhole sewing machine shown and described in lPa-tent No. 1,063,880, June 3, 1913, although it is not confined in its application to this machine, but may be embodied with advantage in other machines.

ln the machine of the above patent the stitch Vforming mechanism is rotated, rotation after rotation, in the same direction in sewing about successive buttonholes, and in order to prevent the twisting together of the stay and under threads they are led to the turret on which the under thread mechanism is mounted through guides carried by a verterfere with the proper operation of the 'machine. A

lt is the object of the present invention to overcome this diiculty, and to that end the invention contemplates the provision of thread separating guides arranged between the guide tube and turret and mounted to rotate in unison with the turret and tube.

`The guides are arranged to maintain lthe threads, and particularly their horizontal runs, in such relation that they cannot contact or twist together in such manner as to interfere with the proper supply of thread ,to the thread handling devices carried by the turret. rl`he guides may be of any suitable construction and arrangement', and may be rotated in, any suitable manner. lt is preferred, however, to form the guides, in whole or in part, of iiexible tubes through which the threads may be led, and to rotate the guides by connecting the flexible tubes at one end to the vertical guide tube. lt is also preferred to so construct the guides and the supports therefor that they may be readily removed in case the machine is to be used under conditions which render the use of the guide tubes unnecessary' or inadvisable.

The invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and thefollowing detailed description of the mechanism illustrated therein.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, showing so much of a.

Ibuttonhole sewing machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of the present invention thereto; yFig. 2 is a detailed view showin-g the means for supporting one end of the flexible guide tubes; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3, Eig. 2,; and Eig." d is a detailed view of the Vcoupling for detachably connecting theends of the guide tubes `with the lower end of the vertical guide tube.

.ln the drawings the invention is shown as embodied inv the buttonhole sewing machine shown and described in Patent No. l1,063,880 above referred to. In this machine the stitch forming mechanism comprises an upper needle 2,V an under needle 4, and a coperating looper (not shown). rlhe upper needle is eccentrically secured to areciprocating needle bar 6 which is mounted in a rotary sleeve. rlhe under thread mechanism is mounted in a turret 8 which is rotated in unison with the sleeve carrying the upper needle bar during the sewing, the turret and sleeve being given a single revolution during the sewing of each buttonhole, and being rotated, rotation after rotation, in the same direction in sewing successive buttonholes. rllhe under sewing thread 10 and the stay thread 12 are led to the thread guiding and handling devices on the turret throughthe hollow link 14 which is carried by the tur. ret, and forms a part of the mechanism through which the under thread mechanism is actuated. The lower end of the link is provided with a sleeve 16 in which the guides, 18 and 20 for the sewing thread and stay thread respectively are formed. lTo avoid the twisting together of the stay and sewing threads by the successive rotations of the turret in the same direction, the threads are supplied thrnugh a vertical guide tube 22 which is rotated in a direction opposite to that of the turret, and is given a rotation for each rotation of the turret. This guide tube carries a support 24 for one of the threads, preferably the stay thread, and also carries a guide 26 through which the sewing thread passes. The staythread is led from the thread supply on the support 24 down through the tube 22, while the sewing thread is led from its supply through the guide 26 which directs the thread' from a point in line with the axis of the tube 22 down about the stay thread supply and into the tube 22 below the support 24. threads pass .onY opposite sides of a separating pin 28 which divides the lower end of the tube 22 into two thread guides or passages.

In embodying the invention in the niachine above described, thread guides are provided intermediate the lower end of the guide tube 22 and lower end of the turret which are arranged to keep the threads separated, andare rotated, rotation after rotation with the guide tube and turret. As shown, the guides for keeping the threads separated comprise two flexible tubes 30 which may be conveniently formed of coiled wire, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. These tubes are connected at one end to a coupling head 32 which is provided with bayonet slots 34 by which the head may be readily connected with or disconnected from the pin.

The bearing plate 44 is secured to a xed bracket 46, while the bearing plate 42 Ais pivoted to the bearing plate 44 at '48, so that it may be readilyrswung into the dotted line p'osition indicated in Fig. 2 in removing or inserting the guiding tubes. vThe bearing plate 42 is normally held in position to cooperate with the plate 44`by a spring 50. The support for the head 36 is preferably arranged adjacent to and substantially under the lower end of theturret, so that the threads 10 and 12 will lead directly from the head to the guides 18 and 20 at the lower end of the connecting rod 14. The guide tubes 30 may be twisted together, las indicated in Fig. 1, at the curved portion con? necting the horizontalpart of the tubes with the lower end of the guide tu'be 22. The tubes -may alsov be connected at suitable Lacasse points by solder or otherwise, so that they will be maintained in close relation during their rotation.

While it is preferred to form the rotary guides, in -whole or in part, of exible tubes, and to rotate the guides by connecting the flexible tubes with the end of the guide tube, thi-s is not essential, and it will be understood that the guides may be otherwise constructed and arranged, or otherwise rotated, without departing from the broader features of the invention.

Having explained the nature and Aobject of the invention, and specifically described one form of mechanism in which it may be embodied, what is claimed is t 1. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary turret in which the mechanism 1s mounted, two thread guides connected to rotate with the turret, thread supply'guides through which thel threads lead to the turret guides mounted .to rotate about an axis different from that of the turret guides,` l

thread separating guides intermediate the axis of the thread supply guides and the axis ofthe turret guides, and means yfor rotating said separating guides rotation for rotation with the turret and thread supply guides.

2. A buttonhole sewing machine, having,

in combination, lstitch forming mechanism, a rotary turret in which the mechanism is mounted, two thread guides connected to rotate with the turret, an oppositely rotating vertical tube having guides for two threads, and rotary thread separating guides through which the threads pass horizontally between the tube and turret. l v

3. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism,

a rotary turret in which the mechanism is mounted, two thread guides connected to rotate with the turret,- a rotary tube provided with guides for two threads, and two i'lexible guide tubes connected at one end' with said tube and at the other lend with a rotary head adjacent the turret thread guides.

4. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, mechanism for rotating the stitch forming mechanism in the same direction rotation after rotation in sewing about successive buttonlioles, guides for the sewing and stay threads rotating with the stitch forming mechanism, thread supply guides through which the sewing and 'stay threads lead t0- y the guides on the stitch forming mechanism, means for rotating the thread` supply guides in a direction ,opposite to that in whichthe stitch forming mechanism-,is rotated and threadseparating guides intermediate the thread supply guides and the guides on the 5. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism including upper and under thread handling devices, a turret in which the under devices are mounted, mechanism for rotating the turret in the same direction rotation after rotation in sewing about successive buttonholes, guiding devices on the turret for the sewing and stay threads, a vertical guide tube provided with guides at its lower end for the under and stay threads, a thread supply support on the tube, means for rotating the tube in a direction opposite to that in which the turret is rotated, and thread separating guides intermediate the tube and turret connected to rotate with the guide tube.

6. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary turretin which the mechanism is mounted, two thread guides connected to rotate with the turret, a rotary tube provided with guides for two threads, two Hexible guide tubes provided at one end with a coupling head for connecting them to the guide tube, a head in which the other ends of the tubes are secured, and a bearing for said head arranged adjacent the guidesv on the turret. /f

7. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, stitch forming mechanism, a rotary turret in which the mechanism is mounted, two thread guides connected to rotate with the turret, a rotary tube provided with guides for two threads, two fiexible guide tubes provided at one end with a coupling head for detachably connecting them with the guide tube, a head in Which the other ends of the tubes are secured, and a bearing for the head adjacent the turret comprising fixed and movable sections.

HENRY W. EAST HAM.

Witnesses:

CHESTER E. ROGERS, LAURA M. Goonnmon. 

